Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;CIDZ0066&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘CIDZ0066’ particularly distinguished by the light pink, daisy-type inflorescences, excellent flower production, very vigorous growth and spreading plant habit, and very uniform flowering with response time of 8 weeks when grown under short days.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Chrysanthemum×morifolium

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘CIDZ0066’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name. ‘CIDZ0066’.

‘CIDZ0066’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has light pink, daisy-type inflorescences, excellent flower production, very vigorous growth and spreading plant habit, and very uniform flowering with response time of 8 weeks when grown under short days.

‘CIDZ0066’ originated from a hybridization made in December 2008 in a greenhouse in Bogota, Colombia. The female parent was the proprietary, commercial variety ‘Yokingston’ (not patented) with somewhat deeper pink flower color, smaller flowers, and a slightly faster flowering response when compared with ‘CIDZ0066’.

The male parent of ‘CIDZ0066’ was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated as ‘B3460’, with pink and white colored flowers, which produce abundant pollen, in contrast to flowers of ‘CIDZ0066’.

The resultant seed was sown in March 2010 and grown in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif. ‘CIDZ0066’ was selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in August 2010 in Gilroy, Calif.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘CIDZ0066’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in November 2010 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated April 2011, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘CIDZ0066’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘CIDZ0066’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of these characteristics distinguishes this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliage characteristics of ‘CIDZ0066’ with colors being as true as possible with an illustration of this type. The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1 a close-up view of the inflorescence of the new variety and in FIG. 2 a whole flowering plant grown in a greenhouse.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken indoors in Nipomo, Calif. on August 2014 on about 11 week old plants. Unrooted cuttings had been planted, 4 plants per pot, in 6 inch pots on May 24, 2014. The plants were pinched and moved to short days on Jun. 16, 2014 to induce flowering.

The aforementioned photographs: FIGS. 1 and 2 were taken in Nipomo, Calif. in May 2013, and showing a plant from a trial, in which flowering had been induced by applying black cloth. These plants were about 11 weeks of age. Unrooted cuttings had been planted, 4 plants per pot, in 6 inch pots. The plants were pinched and moved to short days to induce flowering.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘CIDZ0066’ AND A MOST SIMILAR VARIETY ‘YOROANOKE’, ‘CIDZ0066’ U.S. Pat. No. PP12,906 Flower color: Lighter pink hue Darker pink hue Flower size: Larger Smaller Plant habit: Flower canopy dense and Arrangement of flowers uniform (mounding) more open and less uniform

-   Plant:     -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous pot-type, stems upright,             freely branching, strong and moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—27.0-30.0 cm.         -   Plant height (inflorescence included): 32.0-35.0 cm.         -   Plant width.—38.0-41.0 cm. -   Roots:     -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—4 days at about 22 degrees             C.         -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—10-12 days at 22             degrees C.         -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.         -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 141B.         -   Lower surface.—Between RHS 146B.         -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 137B.         -   Lower surface.—RHS 138B.         -   Length.—7.5-8.5 cm.         -   Width.—6.5-7.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Base shape.—Attenuate.         -   Apex shape.—Mucronulate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed; irregularly incised, somewhat             serrate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Bifid T-shaped hairs.         -   Lower surface.—Bifid T-shaped hairs.         -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 147D.         -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 138D.         -   Pattern of veining.—Palmate.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 137B.         -   Length.—2.2-2.6 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.4-0.6 cm.         -   Texture.—Bifid T-shaped hairs. -   Stem:     -   -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—4-5.         -   Color of stem.—RHS 138B.         -   Length of stem.—About 23.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.4-0.7 cm.         -   Length of internodes.—0.5-3.0 cm.         -   Texture.—Bifid T-shaped hairs.         -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 138B.         -   Length of peduncle.—3.6-8.7 cm.         -   Peduncle diameter.—0.3 cm.         -   Texture.—Bifid T-shaped hairs. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Compositae type, solitary daisy-type inflorescences             borne terminally above foliage, ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Quantity of short days to flowering (response time).—7.5             weeks.         -   Natural season flowering.—Not determined on this variety.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—60-75.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—4 weeks.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly spicy. -   Bud (just when opening/showing color):     -   -   Color.—Closest to RHS 62D.         -   Length.—0.8-1.2 cm.         -   Width.—1.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblate. -   Immature inflorescence:     -   -   Diameter.—5.0-7.0 cm.         -   Color of ray florets, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 75D             overlain with RHS 75B.         -   Lower surface.—Closest to RHS 65D. -   Mature inflorescence:     -   -   Diameter.—9.0-10.5 cm.         -   Depth.—3.0-4.2 cm.         -   Total diameter of disc.—2.0 cm.         -   Receptacle color.—RHS 145C.         -   Receptacle height.—0.5 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—0.6-0.7 cm. -   Ray florets:     -   -   Average quantity of florets.—24-32.         -   Color of ray florets, upper surface.—Closest to RHS 75D             overlain with RHS 75B.         -   Lower surface.—Closest to RHS 65D.         -   Length.—4.4-4.8 cm.         -   Width.—1.3-1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Eliptical.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Papillose.         -   Lower surface.—Papillose. -   Disc florets:     -   -   Average quantity of florets.—170-190.         -   Color of florets.—RHS 7B basally fading to RHS 8B.         -   Length.—0.4-0.6 cm.         -   Width.—0.15-0.25 cm when open.         -   Shape.—Tubular, elongated.         -   Apex shape.—Acute, 5 pointed. -   Phyllaries:     -   -   Quantity.—About 30.         -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 138A.         -   Lower surface.—RHS 147B.         -   Length.—0.7-1.1 cm.         -   Width.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Margins.—Entire; slightly papery.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.         -   Lower surface.—Bifid T-shaped hairs. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Pistil.—1, found on both types of florets.         -   Length.—0.7 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 155C.         -   Style length.—0.5 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 17C.         -   Stigma shape.—Bi-parted.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 155C but more translucent.         -   Stamens.—4, found on only on the disc florets.         -   Color of filaments.—RHS 155C.         -   Length filaments.—0.4-0.5 cm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 15A.         -   Anther length.—0.15 cm.         -   Anther shape.—Oval.         -   Color of pollen.—RHS 17B.         -   Pollen amount.—Sparse.         -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed to date.         -   Disease/pest resistance.—Has not been observed to date. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘CIDZ0066’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 